12 Easy Tips for Organizing Your Home from Life Guide and Feng Shui Expert Alice Inoue

Say goodbye to clutter.

Photos: David Croxford

Alice Inoue

Admit it. That wave of new-year tidying-up ebbed after a few weeks along with plans to lead a simpler, better-organized life.

Never fear. Spring is here and we can change our world, one corner at a time with the help of life guide/astrologer/feng shui expert Alice Inoue, chief happiness officer at Happiness U.

SEE ALSO: 8 Feng Shui Fixes for the New Year

If you don’t know where to start, begin from any corner in any room.

By clearing the corners first, you get the greatest energetic rate of return, which triggers a chain reaction of positive energy back to you, Inoue says. It could be as simple as watering that plant in the corner and trimming dead leaves. She suggests finishing the corners of a home, then the corners of each room.

Start small.

Choose a small area of your home or office: a shelf, a small tabletop, any area that “calls” to you. Do everything you can to make it beautiful, sacred and filled with expression of you, she says. Seeing how something small can make a difference will help you gain more inspiration and confidence.

Clean where you spend the most time.

The closer the clutter is to you, the more it will affect you. If you’re a salesperson who drives around a lot, start with your car. If you’re at your desk most of the day, tidy there first, then move to files and your computer desktop. At home, start with your nightstand. If you cook a lot, clear the kitchen starting with the refrigerator. “Clear your refrigerator of anything you wouldn’t eat today,” she says, such as that jar of capers you bought two years ago.

Begin with the bathroom.

She says her most unusual cleaning tip came from years of experience coaching people: Cleaning the private space of a bathroom helps people move through transitions. “We cry and we are able to be vulnerable there,” she says. “If someone’s going through a hard time, go clean the bathroom.”

Closets, Closets, Closets!

If you have not worn something in the past year and do not love it, send it on its way.

Clothes that empower you make you feel fabulous.

Never keep anything “just in case.”

Clear unworn or excess clothes in small segments if you are feeling overwhelmed. Trust life to bring you what you need.

When something new comes in, something old goes out.

Exchange old clothes for new ones to avoid belongings buildup.

Avoid “past life” wardrobe syndrome.

Keep clothes that mirror who you are today.

Discard “expired” garments.

Donate clothes that are worn-out, ill-fitting or irrelevant.

Just say no.

Return or exchange gifts that don’t work for you.

Don’t let a bargain sell you.

Closets can fill up with unworn bargains.

Don’t buy to buy.

Shopping can turn into retail therapy. How many clothes do you really need?

SEE ALSO: Quote Unquote: This Chief Happiness Officer Can Help You Find Your Happy Place

READ MORE STORIES BY ROBBIE DINGEMAN